Dr. Rosslyn Biggs, OSU College of Veterinary Medicine Extension | May 03, 2021
Often, by the time a cattle producer recognizes they have a “trich” problem, significant economic loss has already occurred.The first signs of an issue are often discovered during pregnancy checking when there is an increased and unexpected number of short bred or open females.The most effective way to prevent this loss and shore up herd health is to implement biosecurity measures to prevent disease introduction.
Trichomoniasis is a reproductive disease caused by a protozoan called
Tritrichomonas foetus. Bulls are asymptomatic carriers of the disease, but play the major role in trichomoniasis transmission. Older bulls are more at risk of having the disease than younger bulls.Unfortunately, positive bulls must be removed from the herd and either castrated or sent to slaughter as there is no treatment for the disease.